Commemorative cookbook planned

recipes sought

December 28, 2007

In celebration of its 35th anniversary, the Wheat Foods Council will produce a commemorative cookbook - a collaboration between celebrity chef and mother of three, Gale Gand, and moms and dads throughout the country. “The cookbook will feature wheat-based recipes and address the importance of nutrition education for children, emphasizing a parent's role in a child's diet,” says Mary Ellen Wagner, director of communications for the South Dakota Wheat Commission and a member of the Wheat Foods Council Board of Directors. “Every cook knows you can never have enough cookbooks and because this commemorative book is designed for children and contains nutritional information, it will be very unique.” Wagner invites parents to submit nutritious, child-friendly recipes in the categories of breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks, 30 of which will be featured alongside five exclusive recipes from Chef Gand for a total of 35 recipes. “Educational facts will complement each individual recipe,” says Wagner, “enabling parents to use the cookbook as a tool with which to teach their children about nutrition, serving sizes and the origin of their food.” “To celebrate 35 years of serving the wheat industry and educating the public about wheat's nutritional value, the Wheat Foods Council hopes to give parents a fun way to impact their children's diet,” explains Marcia Scheideman, president of the Wheat Foods Council. “With childhood obesity at epidemic proportions, this is a project about which we feel passionate and are thrilled to bring Chef Gand's expertise and notoriety to this effort.” The call for recipes at www.wheatfoods.org closes Jan. 31. Recipes must meet the following criteria: wheat-based, nutritious, child-friendly and relatively easy to prepare. The Web site will feature educational resources to assist parents in creating more nutritious recipes. Additionally, parents are asked to provide personal tips for encouraging children to make healthier food choices. The cookbook will be available at www.wheatfoods.org in May 2008. “Parents have tried and tested recipes that work on their dinner table. Now they can share their insight with other parents,” says Wagner. “Complete details can be found by login onto the Wheat Foods Council website and following the 35th Anniversary Cookbook links.” Award-winning chef Gale Gand has written several cookbooks, the latest of which is “Chocolate and Vanilla,” and hosts “Sweet Dreams” on the Food Network. Though best-known for her delectable desserts, chef Gand is classically trained in a variety of cuisines and her role as mother of three demands she keep her culinary skills sharp at every meal. “I love spending time with my kids in the kitchen teaching them about the foods they eat and how food choices can affect their health,” says Gand.